Folded Sheet Product Cartridges and Dispensing Systems, Assemblies, and Methods

ABSTRACT

Folded sheet product cartridges and dispensing assemblies, systems, and methods of dispense therefor are provided. A dispensing assembly includes a housing for vertically stacked cartridges. The housing defines a load opening in a side panel or top end and a dispensing slot in a side panel or bottom end. A sheet product cartridge includes a plurality of folded sheet products for dispense through a dispensing opening and a plurality of flexible material panels containing the sheet products. One of the material panels includes a detachable area that is detachable to form the dispensing opening.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/926,767, filed on Jan. 13, 2014, and U.S. Provisional Application No.62/008,897, filed on Jun. 6, 2014, both of which are incorporated hereinby reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to sheet product dispensing,and more particularly to folded sheet product cartridges and dispensers,systems, methods, and assemblies for use therewith.

BACKGROUND

Sheet product dispensers, such as facial tissue, paper towel, or wipedispensers, are used in a range of locations having varying amounts ofuser traffic and distinct dispenser performance needs. For example, inthe patient rooms of hospitals or other medical facilities, user trafficat the dispenser may be low, but performance requirements on thedispenser are great due to the increased need for hygienic operation, aswell as the dispenser efficiency demands of medical personnel who washtheir hands frequently, among other reasons.

For example, dispensers may be used in the patient rooms of medicalfacilities, where certain dispenser performance features are desirable.Typically, sheet product dispensers in patient rooms are wall-mountedstainless steel manual dispensers into which folded sheet towels areloaded and dispensed via a wide opening in the bottom. These dispensersexperience many performance issues, including maintenance and dispensingissues. For example, to load these dispensers, facility environmentalservices (EVS) personnel, such as janitorial personnel, must unlock thedispenser, estimate the number of sheet towels needed, select a numberof sheet towels from a larger stack or from multiple sleeves of towels,load the towels into the dispenser, remove any overflow, and close andlock the dispenser. Thus, it would be desirable to provide dispensersthat are more efficient for maintenance staff, such as for reloading thedispenser.

Furthermore, it would be desirable to provide dispensers in whichcontamination is prevented or minimized. In the traditional sheetproduct dispensers mentioned above, the sheet products may be exposed tounsanitary conditions prior to being loaded into a dispenser (e.g.,after being unloaded from a case, during transit through the facility,or while being loaded in the form of a stack of loose towels). Moreover,when users reach into these dispensers to obtain one or more towels,adjacent towels that are left for the next user often become wet, and itmay be difficult to pull out only the desired number of towels,resulting in overflow towels that must be handled by the user ortabbing, in which only a portion of the towel pulled by the user isdispensed. For example, additional towels may fall to a counter or othersurface, where germs are present, and then be picked up to be disposedby the user after hand washing has occurred. In hospitals, hygienicpractices are critical for preventing hospital acquired infections.Thus, it would be desirable to provide dispensers that minimize thecontact of the sheet products with other things prior to dispense,prevent contamination, and encourage hygienic practices.

Accordingly, there is a need for improved sheet product dispensers andcartridges that reduce or prevent contamination of the folded sheetproducts and/or provide improved sheet product loading and dispensing.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, a sheet product dispensing system is provided, includinga housing having one or more vertically stacked cartridges therein, witheach cartridge containing a plurality of individual sheet products fordispense through a dispensing opening of the cartridge. The housingdefines a load opening in a side panel or top end of the housing, withthe load opening being configured to receive the one or more cartridgestherethrough. The housing also defines a dispensing slot in a side panelor bottom end of the housing, with the dispensing slot being configuredto at least partially align with the dispensing opening of a bottommostcartridge of the one or more vertically stacked cartridges, such thatthe individual sheet products are accessible therethrough. Thecartridges are each formed of a flexible panel material, such that anexhausted cartridge may be removed via the dispensing slot.

In another aspect, a sheet product cartridge is provided, including aplurality of individual folded sheet products for dispense through adispensing opening of the cartridge and a plurality of flexible materialpanels containing the folded sheet products. The folded sheet productsare interleaved for sequential dispense. One of the panels includes adetachable area that is configured to be detached to form the dispensingopening, the detachable area having a weakened perimeter and an integralpull tab disposed within the weakened perimeter. The pull tab includes aweakened neck portion associated with a partially detached stub portion,such that the detached stub portion is graspable by a user to detach theweakened neck portion and successively detach the weakened perimeter todetach the detachable area and form the dispensing opening.

In yet another aspect, a sheet product dispensing assembly is provided,including a housing configured to house one or more vertically stackedcartridges therein, with each cartridge containing a plurality ofindividual sheet products for dispense through a dispensing opening ofthe cartridge. The housing defines a load opening in a side panel or topend of the housing, with the load opening being configured to receivethe one or more cartridges therethrough. The housing also defines adispensing slot in a side panel or bottom end of the housing, with thedispensing slot being configured to at least partially align with thedispensing opening of a bottommost cartridge of the one or morevertically stacked cartridges, such that the individual sheet productsare accessible therethrough. The load opening includes a notched portioncorresponding to a complementary projection of each cartridge, such thatcartridges comprising the complementary projection are loadable into thehousing via the load opening.

In still yet another aspect, a sheet product dispensing assembly isprovided, including a base panel configured to support one or morecartridges stacked thereon and a cartridge mounting panel extending fromthe base panel and comprising one or more notched rails configured tomount the one or more cartridges via one or more complementaryprojections on each cartridge. Each cartridge houses a plurality ofindividual sheet products for dispense through a dispensing opening ofthe cartridge.

In another aspect, a sheet product dispensing assembly including ahousing configured to house one or more vertically stacked cartridgestherein, with each cartridge containing a plurality of individual sheetproducts for dispense through a dispensing opening of the cartridge. Thehousing defines a load opening in a side panel or top end of thehousing, with the load opening being configured to receive the one ormore cartridges therethrough. The housing also defines a dispensing slotin a side panel or bottom end of the housing, with the dispensing slotbeing configured to at least partially align with the dispensing openingof a bottommost cartridge of the one or more vertically stackedcartridges, such that the individual sheet products are accessibletherethrough. The cartridge includes two non-rectangular side panels andthe housing comprises two complementary non-rectangular side panels.

These and other aspects and improvements of the present disclosure willbecome apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of thefollowing detailed description when taken in conjunction with theseveral drawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanyingdrawings illustrating examples of the disclosure, in which use of thesame reference numerals indicates similar or identical items. Certainembodiments of the present disclosure may include elements, components,and/or configurations other than those illustrated in the drawings, andsome of the elements, components, and/or configurations illustrated inthe drawings may not be present in certain embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of a material panel of a sheetproduct cartridge having a detachable area for forming a dispensingopening.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a sheet productcartridge having a material panel with a detachable area for forming adispensing opening.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a sheet productdispensing assembly.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a sheet productdispensing assembly.

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of one embodiment of a sheet productdispensing assembly.

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the sheet product dispensing assemblyof FIG. 5A loaded with two sheet product cartridges.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a sheet productdispensing assembly.

FIG. 7A is a perspective view of one embodiments of a sheet productdispensing assembly.

FIG. 7B is a perspective view of the sheet product dispensing assemblyof FIG. 7A loaded with one sheet product cartridge.

FIG. 7C is a perspective view of the sheet product dispensing assemblyof FIG. 7A loaded with two sheet product cartridges.

FIG. 7D is a perspective view of the sheet product dispensing assemblyof FIG. 7A loaded with two sheet product cartridges, one of which isbeing removed from the assembly.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of one embodiment of a sheet product cartridge foruse with a sheet product dispensing assembly.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a sheet productdispensing assembly loaded with two sheet product cartridges.

FIG. 10A is a cross-sectional plan view of one embodiment of a sheetproduct dispensing assembly and a corresponding sheet product cartridgetherefore.

FIG. 10B is a perspective view of the sheet product assembly of FIG. 10Aloaded with three sheet product cartridges.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a sheet productdispensing assembly.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a sheet productcartridge.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a sheet productdispensing assembly.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a sheet productcartridge.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional plan view of one embodiment of a pluralityof interleaved folded sheet products.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a sheet productcartridge.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a sheet productcartridge.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a sheet productdispensing assembly loaded with three cartridges.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Sheet product cartridges and dispensing assemblies systems, and methodstherefor, have been developed to meet one or more of the above-notedneeds. For example, the sheet product dispensing assemblies andcartridges described herein may be used in settings where certainperformance functionalities, such as hygienic operation and improvedloading, are desirable. In particular, these assemblies and cartridgesmay be used in settings where it is beneficial for the sheet products toremain unexposed to unsanitary conditions in the local environment, suchas through handling and loading by EVS personnel and/or contamination ofundispensed sheet products by exposure to water or infectious materials.

Embodiments of these cartridges and dispensing assemblies will bedescribed below in more detail. While features of the cartridges andassemblies are described with reference to specific embodiments, it willbe understood by those skilled in the art that the disclosure is notlimited to such embodiments, but rather that cartridges and dispensingassemblies may incorporate any number of combinations, variations,alterations, substitutions, or equivalent arrangements not describedherein.

Sheet Product Cartridges

Generally, the sheet product cartridges disclosed herein are designed tocontain a plurality of individual folded sheet products. As used herein,the term “sheet product” refers to any natural and/or synthetic cloth orpaper sheets. Sheet products may include both woven and nonwovenarticles. Examples of sheet products include, but are not limited to,wipes, napkins, tissues, towels, and other types of fibrous or filmproducts. A plurality of folded sheet products may be releasablyattached to one another and housed within the cartridge. Suitablereleasable attachment means include, but are not limited to, friction,cohesion, or other forces that releasably attach adjacent articles.Perforations between the individual sheet products may provide suchreleasable detachment. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 15, the sheetproducts 1510, 1520, 1530, 1540, 1550, 1560 may be interfolded, orinterleaved, such that releasable attachment may result from friction orcohesion between adjacent sheets. In one embodiment, the folded sheetproducts are interleaved for sequential dispense. The interleavingconfiguration shown in FIG. 15 is merely exemplary and otherinterleaving or interfolding configurations may also be used.

As used herein, the term “cartridge” refers to a housing or carton forcontaining a plurality of folded sheet products and for providing fordispense of the sheet products therefrom. Cartridges described hereinmay be formed of a plurality of material panels that are formed orassociated so as to at least partially surround and contain a stack offolded sheet products.

In one embodiment, at least two of the material panels are formed from aunitary material sheet that is folded to form distinct panels about thesurfaces of the stack of sheet products. In certain embodiments, asshown in FIG. 8, each of the plurality of material panels 810, 820, 830,840, 850, 860 is formed from a unitary material sheet that is foldableto form the cartridge 800. In other embodiments, the plurality ofmaterial panels includes at least two distinct material panels that areassociated or connected to form the cartridge.

In certain embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 17, the plurality ofmaterial panels form a parallelepiped structure. In one embodiment, eachmaterial panel is rectangular. In one embodiment, two of the materialpanels are non-rectangular. In one embodiment, the two non-rectangularmaterial panels are parallelogram-shaped.

In certain embodiments, as discussed in more detail below, the cartridgeincludes one or more projections or keyed edge portions, in addition toor formed by the material panels. In one embodiment, the cartridgesinclude a beveled edge. In one embodiment, one or more tabs extend fromone of the material panels of the cartridge.

For example, as shown in FIG. 17, the cartridge 1700 may completelysurround the sheet products, or, as shown in FIG. 12, the cartridge 1200may expose the sheet products 1202 at one or more surfaces. Embodimentsin which the cartridge completely surrounds the sheet products may beparticularly useful for applications in which contamination of the sheetproducts is undesirable, such as in hospital room settings. Embodimentin which the cartridge partially surrounds the sheet products onspecific surfaces, such as those that may be exposed in a certaindispenser, may also be useful for applications in which contamination ofthe sheet products is undesirable.

The material panels forming the cartridge may be substantially rigid orsubstantially flexible in nature, depending on the particularapplication and dispensing assembly design. For example, a cartridgeformed from material panels that are substantially rigid will generallymaintain its shape when empty of sheet products, whereas a cartridgeformed from material panels that are substantially flexible will notgenerally maintain its shape when empty of sheet products. For example,the materials panels forming the cartridge may be formed of cardboard,paperboard, polymer materials, and other suitable materials. In oneembodiment, the material panels are flexible and formed from a polymerfilm, such as low density polyethylene. For example, certain polymermaterials may provide superior moisture protection versus paper basedmaterials, which may be desirable for cartridges used at sites close tosinks or where EVS personnel use wet wipes or other cleaning supplies toclean room surfaces. In certain embodiments, the cartridges are formedof a flexible panel material so that an exhausted, or empty, cartridgemay be removed in the same manner in which the sheet products weredispensed. In certain embodiments, the cartridges are formed of acombination of substantially flexible and substantially rigid panels,such as a combination of polymer film and paperboard panels, to achievethe desired cartridge characteristics.

In certain embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8, the cartridge 800 includes adispensing opening 802 disposed on one or more of the material panelsand through which the sheet products may be dispensed from thecartridge. The dispensing opening may be formed in a variety of shapesand sizes, depending on the application and dispensing assembly in whichit will be used. For example, the dispensing opening may besubstantially rectangular (with or without rounded edges) (see FIGS. 1,2, 8, 14, 16), elliptical (see FIGS. 3, 4, 7), circular, or othersuitable shapes. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17, the dispensingopening 1704 is formed of two elongated parallel sides connected atsemi-circular ends.

The dispensing opening may be sized to include any portion of thematerial panel(s) in which it is disposed. That is, in certainembodiments, the dispensing opening includes a portion of the materialpanel(s) in which it is disposed. In other embodiments, the dispensingopening is disposed to occupy the space of the entire material panelfrom which it is formed.

One or more panels of the cartridge may include a detachable area thatis configured to be detached from the panel(s) to form the dispensingopening. That is, one or more of the material panels of the cartridgemay be configured to be removed, in whole or in part, to create thedispensing opening through which the sheet product is dispensed. Thus,as shown in FIG. 18, one or more cartridges 1700 may be loaded into adispensing assembly with the material panels 1710 intact (i.e., with thedispensing opening 1704 not yet formed by detaching the detachable area1706), such that the cartridges 1700 remain sealed until dispense of thesheet products is desired, at which point EVS personnel or another usercan detach the detachable area to form the dispensing opening.

Advantageously, the dispensing opening may be large relative to thematerial panel in which it is formed, such that the cartridge mayfunction in dispensers having a variety of designs, including those withdispensing slots (with which the dispensing opening of the cartridgemust at least partially align) of various sizes and locations. Thus, asdiscussed in more detail below, the cartridges of the present disclosuremay be used in a broad range of commercially available dispensers.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, a material panel 110 of thecartridge includes a detachable area 111 having a weakened perimeter 112and an integral pull tab 113 disposed within the weakened perimeter 112.Thus, the weakened perimeter forms a boundary about the pull tab. Asused herein, the term “weakened” refers to the material having a line orzone of frangibility, such as with perforations, score lines, or anyother suitable weakening mechanism. As used herein, the term “integralpull tab” refers to the pull tab being formed from the material of thematerial panel in which the weakened perimeter is formed. That is, thedetachable area, including the weakened perimeter and pull tab, isformed from a unitary portion of the material panel(s) in which it isdisposed.

As shown in FIG. 1, in one embodiment, the pull tab 113 includes aweakened neck portion 115 associated with a partially detached stubportion 116. As used herein, the term “partially detached” refers to thestub portion having at least a portion of its edge fully separated, suchas fully cut or punched, from the surrounding portions of the materialpanel. Thus, the detached stub portion is graspable by a user to detachthe weakened neck portion (represented by arrow A) and successivelydetach the weakened perimeter from the material panel (represented byarrow B) to form the dispensing opening. For example, as shown in FIG.1, the user may begin the pull at the stub portion, causing the weakenedneck portion to detach (arrow A), and successively causing the weakenedperimeter to detach (arrow B).

This pull tab/weakened perimeter design advantageously allows a user toremove the detachable area in a sequential tear, or “zipper,” action,rather than simultaneously removing the pull tab and detachable area ina single tear action. In particular, when the detachable area is presenton a downward-facing panel of the cartridge, a user can gain access tothe sheet product by pulling the pull tab down, and then continuing thedownward pulling motion, while avoiding contact with the sheet product.Thus, the present cartridge and detachable area design enables a user tofully disengage the detachable opening and therefore gain access to thesheet products in a single pull in a direction perpendicular to thematerial panel in which the pull tab is disposed. That is, in certainembodiments, the detachable area is configured to be detached by theapplication of a substantially constant pull force in a directionsubstantially perpendicular to the material panel in which the pull tabis disposed. This force may be relatively lower than the pull forcerequired to remove other detachable areas of traditional sheet productcontainers, such as slits or tabs, which typically involve simultaneousremoval, or “popping,” of the entire detachable area.

The dispensing opening will generally have the shape of the weakenedperimeter. Thus, the perimeter may be substantially rectangular (with orwithout rounded edges), elliptical, circular, or other suitable shapes.In one embodiment, the perimeter is formed of two elongated parallelsides connected at semi-circular ends. In one embodiment, as shown inFIG. 1, the perimeter is formed of two elongated sides and two endshaving a length that is shorter than a length of the elongated sides.

The weakened neck portion of the pull tab may have a variety of shapesand sizes, depending on the size of the detachable area to be removed,as well as the design of the dispenser in which the cartridge is used.In some embodiments, the weakened neck is perforated. In one embodiment,as shown in FIG. 1, the weakened neck 115 includes two substantiallyparallel weakened strips 114. In some embodiments, the weakened neck 115further includes one or more pairs of weakened portions 118, 120extending from an end of the weakened strips 114 toward the weakenedperimeter 112. In one embodiment, the pairs of weakened portions 118,120 extend away from each other, which may reduce tearing. In someembodiments, the weakened strips 114 are substantially parallel to twoelongated sides of the weakened perimeter 112. In certain embodiments,the weakened strips 114 are offset relative to the two elongated sidesand are centered relative to two ends of the weakened perimeter that areshorter in length than the elongated sides. In one embodiment, thestrips 114 are disposed in a first half of the detachable area 111. Insome embodiments, the weakened neck is disposed in a first half of thedetachable area.

In certain embodiments, the pull tab is centered in at least onedirection on the detachable area. In certain embodiments, the pull tabhas a longitudinal axis that is centered between two elongated sides ofthe weakened perimeter.

The detached stub portion may have a variety of shapes and sizes,depending on the size of the detachable area to be removed, as well asthe design of the dispenser in which the cartridge is used. In someembodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the detached stub portion 116 includesa semicircular cut portion of the material panel forming the detachablearea 111.

As shown in FIG. 1, in certain embodiments, the detachable area 111 is aportion of the material panel 110 in which it is disposed. That is, whenthe detachable area 111 is removed, a portion of the material panel 110remains to restrict dispense of the sheet products and thereby minimizemultiple dispenses. In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, thedetachable area 211 includes substantially all of the material panel 210in which it is disposed. That is, when the detachable area 211 isremoved, the dispensing opening is at least an entire surface of thecartridge 200. In some embodiments, the detachable area may be disposedin multiple material panels.

In certain embodiments, as shown in FIG. 14, the dispensing opening ofthe cartridge 1400 may be defined in the material panel 1404 by one ormore flaps or tabs 1403 formed in the material panel 1404.Advantageously, such breakaway flaps provide a less rigid dispensingopening by eliminating the tight corners of other dispensing openings,so that the incidence of tabbing (i.e., when a user pulls the exposedtail of the towel and a small piece of the towel is torn off, with themajority of the towel left in the dispenser) is reduced.

In certain embodiments, the stub portion is generally centered in thematerial panel that will be positioned adjacent the dispensing slot ofthe particular dispenser to be loaded with cartridges, so that thecartridge can be opened after being loaded into a variety of dispenserdesigns (i.e., any dispenser that has a centralized dispensing slot forthe sheet product on a wall that aligns with the dispensing opening ofthe particular cartridge). For example, as shown in FIG. 18, suchcartridges 1700 may be loaded into a traditional manual sheet dispenserhaving a bottom-facing dispensing slot, which is configured to receive astack of loose sheet product, and the detachable area 1706 may beremoved to form the dispensing opening 1704 in the cartridge.

In certain embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, an individual sheetproduct 1510 adjacent the detachable area prior to detachment of thedetachable area to form the dispensing opening 1504 includes areinforced leading end 1511 having a folded portion of the sheetproduct. Thus, the leading sheet product 1510 contained within thecartridge 1600 may include a reinforced leading edge 1511, such as atuck or fold of the edge of the sheet product, to effectively double thethickness/strength of the leading edge. This gives the user easieraccess to initiating dispense of the sheet products and also makes theleading sheet product less prone to tabbing. Moreover, the reinforcedleading end may be folded so that the leading sheet product edge islocated at the center of the surface of the cartridge, such that theleading edge is exposed and accessible when the detachable area isremoved. Such reinforced leadings ends may include those disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 3,207,361, U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2005/0062209, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,205,748, which are incorporated byreference herein.

The cartridges described herein may be configured to contain any numberof individual sheet products therein. In certain embodiments, thecartridges contain 200 individual sheet products or fewer. In oneembodiment, the cartridge contains 150 individual sheet products.

These relatively low sheet product counts enable multiple cartridges tobe loaded into a single dispenser, while keeping all but the cartridgein use sealed. Instead of stuffing the dispenser with loose sheetproduct and removing any overflow, EVS personnel can simply load themaximum number of cartridges that can be contained by the dispenser,with the detachable areas oriented toward the dispensing slot of thedispenser. Thus, discrete cartridge packages take the guesswork out ofloading the dispenser, because dispensing assemblies can only hold a setnumber of cartridges, so to refill the dispenser, EVS must wait untilthere is a large enough headspace in the dispenser to insert an entirecartridge. This reduces stress on EVS, by removing ambiguity inrefilling operations, and, because the dispenser is not over-filled,dispensing defects (e.g., tabbing, multiple sheet dispensing) arereduced.

A user removes the detachable area of the initial cartridge and is ableto dispense sheet product without contaminating all of the sheetproducts in the dispenser and without experiencing the tabbing issuesassociated with overloaded dispensers. When a cartridge is exhausted ofsheet product, the cartridge housing is removed via a cartridge removalslot or through the dispensing slot of the dispenser. A subsequentcartridge may then be opened for dispense.

Dispensing Assemblies, Systems, and Methods

Various embodiments of dispensing assemblies, or dispensers, systemsincluding a dispensing assembly and one or more cartridges, and methodsof dispense are described below. These dispensing assemblies, systems,and methods may be used in combination with sheet product cartridgeshaving any combination of the features disclosed above, or with anyother suitable cartridges. For example, the assemblies may be sized tomount one, two, three, four, or more cartridges.

In certain embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, a sheet product dispensingassembly 400 includes a housing 402 configured to house one or morevertically stacked cartridges 410 therein. In some embodiments, thehousing includes four side walls (i.e., front, back, left, and rightside panels), a top wall (end), and a bottom wall (end), such that thecartridges are substantially enclosed by the housing. In certainembodiments, the dispensing assembly includes a mounting mechanism, suchas bracket(s), for attachment to a wall or other structure.

The housing 402 defines a load opening 404 in a side panel (not shown)or top end of the housing 402, to receive the cartridges 410therethrough. The load opening may occupy an entire side panel or wallof the housing, or some portion thereof. The housing 402 also defines adispensing slot 406 in a side panel 408 or bottom end (not shown) of thehousing 402. Thus, in some embodiments, the housing form a chute betweenthe load opening and the dispensing slot, along which the cartridge(s)travel.

The dispensing slot 406 is configured to at least partially align withthe dispensing opening of a bottommost cartridge of the vertical stack,such that the individual sheet products are accessible therethrough. Thedispensing slot may have a variety of shapes and sizes, including, butnot limited to, substantially rectangular (with or without roundededges), elliptical, circular, or a channel having two elongated parallelsides connected at ends.

In certain embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the cartridges are eachformed of a flexible panel material, such that an exhausted cartridgemay be removed via the dispensing slot 406. In some embodiments, thedispensing slot is sized such that a detachable panel of the cartridgeis removable therethrough. Thus, as shown in FIG. 18, a user may accessthe pull tab of a detachable area 1706, or panel, of the cartridge 1700,and detach the area through the dispensing slot 1708. In certainembodiments, the housing comprises rectangular side panels that arecomplementary to rectangular side panels of a cartridge to be loaded inthe housing. In certain embodiments, the housing is configured to housethree vertically stacked cartridges.

FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of a sheet product dispensingassembly 300, in which the housing 302 further includes an exit opening309 configured such that an exhausted cartridge may be slideably removedfrom the housing therethrough. The cartridge may also be removed using apull tab on one side of the cartridge to pull it out of the exit openingof the dispenser, such that the next cartridge falls into the activeposition. Such an exit opening may be beneficial for us with cartridgeshaving a rigid panel material or for applications in which it would bedesirable to remove cartridges that are not completely empty, such as inhospital rooms between patients.

FIG. 6 illustrates a sheet product dispensing assembly 600 in which oneor more material panels 610 of the housing 602 are open. Such adispensing assembly would allow EVS personnel to easily observe whenadditional cartridges are needed, without opening the dispenser. Forexample, the housing 602 includes three side wall panels and a loadopening in the top end. The dispensing slot occupies a substantialportion of the front panel of the housing and provides for removal ofexhausted cartridges from the assembly.

As shown in FIGS. 5A-5B, the housing 502 of the dispensing assembly 500may include a hinged load opening 510 in one of the panels or top of thehousing. For example, the housing may include a flip door through whichcartridges may be loaded or unloaded. The assembly may be sized to houseone, two, three, or more cartridges. Once expended, a cartridge may bepushed through the door opening 510, for example via a hole on theopposite side of the housing. Alternatively, a user may open the door510 and pull out the expended cartridge. In certain embodiments, thehousing 502 includes top and bottom panels, a dispensing slot in thefront side panel, and a load opening (hinged door) in another sidepanel.

As shown in FIG. 18, in another embodiment, the assembly is front loadedvia a hinged load opening 1720 in the housing 1712. That is, a flip dooror other loading feature may be provided at the front panel of theassembly. The housing includes four side panel, with the front sidepanel being hinged at the interface with the bottom end panel, as wellas a top end panel and bottom end panel, in which the dispensing slot itprovided. Advantageously, front loading the dispenser does not add tothe footprint of the dispenser. In certain embodiments, top and sideload dispensers may require additional space around the dispenser forloading operations to occur. At certain sites this may be undesirable,and a front loading assembly may be beneficial.

In certain embodiments, the dispenser assembly is designed to receiveonly cartridges having a particular shape or profile. Such assembliesmay be desirable in sites where cartridges having particular features(e.g., water resistance) are desirable, so that EVS personnel is able toload only those cartridges into the assembly.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, a sheet productdispensing assembly 1100 includes a housing 1102 configured to house oneor more vertically stacked cartridges therein. The housing 1102 definesa load opening 1104 in a side panel or top end (not shown) of thehousing 1102, to receive the cartridges therethrough. The housing 1102also defines a dispensing slot (not visible in this view) in a sidepanel or bottom end of the housing 1102. Thus, the housing includes topand bottom end panels, and four side panels, one having a load openingtherein, and one having a dispensing slot therein.

The dispensing slot is configured to at least partially align with thedispensing opening of a bottommost cartridge of the vertical stack, suchthat the individual sheet products are accessible therethrough. Incertain embodiments, the load opening 1104 includes a notched portion1105 corresponding to a complementary projection 1203 of each cartridge1200, such that cartridges 1200 comprising the complementary projection1203 are loadable into the housing 1102 via the load opening 1104.

In one embodiment, the complementary projection includes a beveledsurface. In one embodiment, the housing is configured to house threevertically stacked cartridges. In one embodiment, the dispensing slot issized such that a detachable panel of the cartridge is removabletherethrough. In one embodiment, the housing further includes an exitopening configured such that an exhausted cartridge may be slideablyremoved from the housing therethrough. In one embodiment, the exitopening is adjacent the bottommost cartridge of the one or morevertically stacked cartridges in a side panel of the housing other thanthe panel in which the dispensing slot is disposed.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the cartridge 1400is uniquely shaped to be received by a complementarily shaped housing1302 of the dispensing assembly 1300. The sheet product dispensingassembly includes a housing 1302 defining a load opening 1307 and adispensing slot 1304. The housing 1302 includes four side panels, abottom end panel having the dispensing slot therein, and a top end inwhich the load opening is formed.

In particular, the end panels of the housing and cartridge may have aparallelogram shape. Advantageously, having the overall cartridge shapebe unique simplifies manufacture, because notched/beveled cartridgeedges are not necessary to achieve keyed loading and dispensing.Moreover, when used in the vertical orientation shown in FIG. 13, theangled face of the housing 1302 in which the dispensing slot 1304 islocated allows for either an outward or downward pull force to dispensea sheet product. This provides increased flexibility inlocation/placement of the dispenser within a room. For example, theoption of an outward pull might allow the dispenser to be located undera cabinet (e.g., over a countertop) where there is insufficient spacefor a downward pull. Moreover, the assembly may advantageously beintuitive and simple, such that EVS personnel are not necessary forreloading. Additionally, this assembly design may allow the dispenser tohave a narrower depth relative to the width of the sheet product, as thesheet product is angled within the dispenser and does not lay flat.

In certain embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 7A-7D, a sheet productdispensing assembly 700 includes a base panel 702 configured to supportone or more cartridges 710 stacked thereon and a cartridge mountingpanel 704 extending from the base panel 702. The cartridge mountingpanel 704 includes one or more notched rails 705, 706 configured tomount the one or more cartridges 710 via one or more complementaryprojections 712 thereon.

In certain embodiments, the cartridge mounting panel extendssubstantially perpendicularly from the base panel. In one embodiment,the assembly is sized to mount three cartridges.

In certain embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8, the one or morecomplementary projections 812 are tabs extending from a wall 830 of thecartridge 800. Thus, the projections may be integral with one or more ofthe material panels forming the cartridge.

In one embodiment, the assembly includes channels on the outer edgesthat retain the tabs on the outer back edges of the cartridges. At thelowest cartridge position, the rails may be held in place byspring-loaded hinges that can resist the pull force needed to removesheet products from the cartridge, but that yield when the EVS personnelpull the cartridge outward, allowing the next full cartridge to dropinto position for dispense.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the cartridge mountingpanel 904 includes two parallel notched rails 905, 906 that aresubstantially perpendicular to the base panel 902 and the complementaryprojections 812 are two tabs extending from a second wall or panel 830of the cartridge 800 opposite a first wall or panel 810 in which thedispensing opening 802 is disposed. In some embodiments, a first of thetwo parallel notched rails 905 is disposed on the cartridge mountingpanel 904 such that a gap 907 between the base panel 902 and the firstparallel notched rail 905 has a height equal to or greater than a heightof the cartridge 900, such that an exhausted cartridge may be slideablydismounted from the assembly 900 through the gap 907 (also shown inFIGS. 7A-7D). As discussed in further detail below, a dispensingpanel/lip 909 may be used in combination with such rails, to maintainthe bottommost cartridge on the base panel.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 7A-7B, a second of the twoparallel notched rails 706 is disposed on the cartridge mounting panel704 such that a gap between the base panel 702 and the second parallelnotched rail 706 has a height less than the height of the cartridge 710.As discussed in further detail below, a dispensing panel 709 may be usedin combination with such rails, to maintain the bottommost cartridge onthe base panel.

In some embodiments, the assembly may include a dispensing slot in thebase panel 702, such that cartridges having a downward-facing dispensingopening may be utilized.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7A-7D, the assembly 700 furtherincludes a dispensing panel 709 extending substantially perpendicularlyfrom an edge of the base panel 702 opposite the cartridge mounting panel704, the dispensing panel 709 including a dispensing slot 711 configuredto at least partially align with the dispensing opening 713 of thecartridge 710 adjacent the base panel 702, such that the individualsheet products 715 are accessible therethrough.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 9, the assembly 900 also includesa dispensing panel 909 extending substantially perpendicularly from anedge of the base panel 902 opposite the cartridge mounting panel 904,the dispensing panel 909 having a lip configured to laterally retain thecartridge 910 adjacent the base panel 902.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7C, the dispensing panel 709 has aheight substantially similar to, or slightly larger than, a height ofthe one or more cartridges 710 the assembly 700 is sized to accommodate.This may protect the cartridges from incidental contamination and damage(e.g. cleaning solution, users' hands).

A cartridge 1010 and corresponding dispenser assembly 1000 having asingle rail 1002 and notch configuration are shown in FIGS. 10A-10B. Thecartridges 1010 include a projection 1011 corresponding to a notch 1003in the rail 1002 of the assembly.

Such “keyed” dispenser assemblies, for example as shown in FIGS. 7, 8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14, advantageously provide a propriety toweldispenser system, so that cartridges uniquely suited to the dispensermust be used with the dispenser. These dispensing assemblies provide atowel/dispenser system that is convenient to load, inexpensive, andproprietary.

Thus, the sheet product dispensing assemblies and cartridges of thepresent disclosure provide improved loading and dispense for foldedsheet products, as compared to traditional folded sheet productdispensers. These assemblies and cartridges also beneficially providefor reduced contact and contamination of sheet products prior todispense.

In certain embodiments, sheet product dispensing systems are provided,which include any embodiment of a sheet product dispensing assemblydescribed herein as well as one or more cartridges for use therewith.For example, in one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, a sheetproduct dispensing system includes a housing 1712 having one or morevertically stacked cartridges 1700 therein, each cartridge containing aplurality of individual sheet products for dispense through a dispensingopening of the cartridge. The housing 1712 defines a load opening 1720in a side panel or top end (not shown) of the housing to receive the oneor more cartridges therethrough. The housing also defines a dispensingslot 1708 in a side panel (not shown) or bottom end of the housing, toat least partially align with the dispensing opening 1704 of abottommost cartridge 1700, such that the individual sheet products areaccessible therethrough. In one embodiment, the cartridges 1700 are eachformed of a flexible panel material, such that an exhausted cartridgemay be removed via the dispensing slot 1708.

Methods for dispensing sheet products from a dispensing assembly arealso provided, including (i) providing any embodiment of a dispensingassembly described herein, (ii) loading the dispensing assembly with oneor more sheet product cartridges via the load opening in the housing ofthe dispensing assembly, and (iii) dispensing individual sheet productsfrom a bottommost cartridge via a dispensing slot of the dispensingassembly that is at least partially aligned with a dispensing opening ofthe cartridge. In some embodiments, methods further include detaching adetachable area of the cartridge to form the dispensing opening of thecartridge via the dispensing slot of the dispensing assembly.

Embodiments of the present disclosure further include any one or more ofthe following paragraphs:

1. A sheet product dispensing system, comprising:

-   -   a housing having one or more vertically stacked cartridges        therein, each cartridge containing a plurality of individual        sheet products for dispense through a dispensing opening of the        cartridge,    -   wherein the housing defines a load opening in a side panel or        top end of the housing, the load opening being configured to        receive the one or more cartridges therethrough,    -   wherein the housing defines a dispensing slot in a side panel or        bottom end of the housing, the dispensing slot being configured        to at least partially align with the dispensing opening of a        bottommost cartridge of the one or more vertically stacked        cartridges, such that the individual sheet products are        accessible therethrough, and    -   wherein the cartridges are each formed of a flexible panel        material, such that an exhausted cartridge may be removed via        the dispensing slot.

2. The system of paragraph 1, wherein the dispensing slot is sized suchthat a detachable panel of the cartridge is removable therethrough.

3. The system of paragraph 1, wherein the cartridge comprisesrectangular side panels and the housing comprises complementaryrectangular side panels.

4. The system of paragraph 1, wherein the housing is configured to housethree vertically stacked cartridges.

5. The system of paragraph 1, wherein the flexible panel materialcomprises a polymer film.

6. A sheet product cartridge, comprising:

-   -   a plurality of individual folded sheet products for dispense        through a dispensing opening of the cartridge, the folded sheet        products being interleaved for sequential dispense; and    -   a plurality of flexible material panels containing the folded        sheet products,    -   wherein one of the panels comprises a detachable area that is        configured to be detached to form the dispensing opening, the        detachable area comprising a weakened perimeter and an integral        pull tab disposed within the weakened perimeter,    -   wherein the pull tab comprises a weakened neck portion        associated with a partially detached stub portion, such that the        detached stub portion is graspable by a user to detach the        weakened neck portion and successively detach the weakened        perimeter to detach the detachable area and form the dispensing        opening.

7. The cartridge of paragraph 6, wherein the flexible panel materialcomprises a polymer film.

8. The cartridge of paragraph 7, wherein the polymer film comprises lowdensity polyethylene.

9. The cartridge of paragraph 6, wherein the weakened perimeter and theweakened neck portion comprise perforations.

10. The cartridge of paragraph 6, wherein the plurality of flexiblematerial panels form a parallelepiped.

11. The cartridge of paragraph 7, wherein each flexible material panelis a rectangle.

12. The cartridge of paragraph 6, wherein the weakened perimeter issubstantially rectangular.

13. The cartridge of paragraph 12, wherein the weakened perimetercomprises two elongated sides and two ends having a length that isshorter than a length of the elongated sides.

14. The cartridge of paragraph 6, wherein the weakened neck comprisestwo substantially parallel weakened strips.

15. The cartridge of paragraph 14, wherein the strips are substantiallyparallel to two elongated sides of the weakened perimeter.

16. The cartridge of paragraph 15, wherein the strips are offsetrelative to the two elongated sides and are centered relative to twoends of the weakened perimeter having a length that is shorter than alength of the elongated sides.

17. The cartridge of paragraph 16, wherein the strips are disposed in afirst half of the detachable area.

18. The cartridge of paragraph 6, wherein the detached stub portioncomprises a semicircular cut portion of the material panel forming thedetachable area.

19. The cartridge of paragraph 6, wherein the detachable area comprisesa portion of the material panel in which it is disposed.

20. The cartridge of paragraph 6, wherein the detachable area comprisessubstantially all of the material panel in which it is disposed.

21. The cartridge of paragraph 6, wherein the detachable area isconfigured to be detached by application of a substantially constantpull force to the stub portion of the pull tab, the pull force beingapplied in a direction substantially perpendicular to the material panelin which the pull tab is disposed.

22. The cartridge of paragraph 6, wherein an individual sheet productadjacent the detachable area prior to detachment of the detachable areacomprises a reinforced leading end comprising a folded portion of thesheet product.

23. A sheet product dispensing assembly, comprising:

-   -   a housing configured to house one or more vertically stacked        cartridges therein, each cartridge containing a plurality of        individual sheet products for dispense through a dispensing        opening of the cartridge,    -   wherein the housing defines a load opening in a side panel or        top end of the housing, the load opening being configured to        receive the one or more cartridges therethrough,    -   wherein the housing defines a dispensing slot in a side panel or        bottom end of the housing, the dispensing slot being configured        to at least partially align with the dispensing opening of a        bottommost cartridge of the one or more vertically stacked        cartridges, such that the individual sheet products are        accessible therethrough, and    -   wherein the load opening comprises a notched portion        corresponding to a complementary projection of each cartridge,        such that cartridges comprising the complementary projection are        loadable into the housing via the load opening.

24. The assembly of paragraph 23, wherein the complementary edgecomprises a beveled edge.

25. The assembly of paragraph 23, wherein the housing is configured tohouse three vertically stacked cartridges.

26. The assembly of paragraph 23, wherein the dispensing slot is sizedsuch that a detachable panel of the cartridge is removable therethrough.

27. The assembly of paragraph 23, wherein the housing further comprisesan exit opening configured such that an exhausted cartridge may beslideably removed from the housing therethrough.

28. The assembly of paragraph 27, wherein the exit opening is adjacentthe bottommost cartridge in a side panel of the housing other than thepanel in which the dispensing slot is disposed.

29. A sheet product dispensing assembly, comprising:

-   -   a base panel configured to support one or more cartridges        stacked thereon, each cartridge housing a plurality of        individual sheet products for dispense through a dispensing        opening of the cartridge; and    -   a cartridge mounting panel extending from the base panel and        comprising one or more notched rails configured to mount the one        or more cartridges via one or more complementary projections on        each cartridge.

30. The assembly of paragraph 29, wherein the cartridge mounting panelextends substantially perpendicularly from the base panel.

31. The assembly of paragraph 29, wherein the one or more complementaryprojections comprise one or more tabs extending from a wall of thecartridge.

32. The assembly of paragraph 29, wherein the assembly is sized to mountthree cartridges.

33. The assembly of paragraph 29, wherein:

-   -   the cartridge mounting panel comprises two parallel notched        rails that are substantially perpendicular to the base panel,        and    -   the complementary projections comprise two tabs extending from a        second wall of the cartridge opposite a first wall in which the        dispensing opening is disposed.

34. The assembly of paragraph 33, wherein a first of the two parallelnotched rails is disposed on the cartridge mounting panel such that agap between the base panel and the first parallel notched rail has aheight equal to or greater than a height of the cartridge, such that anexhausted cartridge may be slideably dismounted from the assemblythrough the gap.

35. The assembly of paragraph 34, wherein a second of the two parallelnotched rails is disposed on the cartridge mounting panel such that agap between the base panel and the second parallel notched rail has aheight less than the height of the cartridge.

36. The assembly of paragraph 29, further comprising a dispensing panelextending substantially perpendicularly from an edge of the base panelopposite the cartridge mounting panel, the dispensing panel comprising alip configured to laterally retain the cartridge adjacent the basepanel.

37. The assembly of paragraph 29, further comprising a dispensing panelextending substantially perpendicularly from an edge of the base panelopposite the cartridge mounting panel, the dispensing panel comprising adispensing slot configured to at least partially align with thedispensing opening of the cartridge adjacent the base panel, such thatthe individual sheet products are accessible therethrough.

38. The assembly of paragraph 37, wherein the dispensing panel has aheight substantially similar to a height of the one or more cartridgesthe assembly is sized to accommodate.

39. A sheet product dispensing assembly, comprising:

-   -   a housing configured to house one or more vertically stacked        cartridges therein, each cartridge containing a plurality of        individual sheet products for dispense through a dispensing        opening of the cartridge,    -   wherein the housing defines a load opening in a side panel or        top end of the housing, the load opening being configured to        receive the one or more cartridges therethrough,    -   wherein the housing defines a dispensing slot in a side panel or        bottom end of the housing, the dispensing slot being configured        to at least partially align with the dispensing opening of a        bottommost cartridge of the one or more vertically stacked        cartridges, such that the individual sheet products are        accessible therethrough, and    -   wherein the cartridge comprises two non-rectangular side panels        and the housing comprises two complementary non-rectangular side        panels.

40. The assembly of paragraph 39, wherein the cartridge comprises twoparallelogram-shaped side panels and the housing comprises twocomplementary parallelogram-shaped side panels.

41. The assembly of paragraph 39, wherein the side panel of the housingin which the dispensing slot is located is angled with respect to a basepanel of the housing, such that the individual sheet products aredispensable therethrough via an outward or downward pull.

42. The assembly of paragraph 39, wherein the dispensing opening of thecartridge is defined by one or more flaps extending from edges of thecartridge defining a dispensing panel.

Although certain embodiments of the disclosure are described herein andshown in the accompanying drawings, one of ordinary skill in the artwill recognize that numerous modifications and alternative embodimentsare within the scope of the disclosure. Moreover, although certainembodiments of the disclosure are described herein with respect tospecific sheet product dispenser configurations, it will be appreciatedthat numerous other sheet product dispenser configurations are withinthe scope of the disclosure. Conditional language used herein, such as“can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise,or otherwise understood within the context as used, generally isintended to convey that certain embodiments include, while otherembodiments do not include, certain features, elements, or functionalcapabilities. Thus, such conditional language generally is not intendedto imply that certain features, elements, or functional capabilities arein any way required for all embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A sheet product dispensing system, comprising: ahousing having one or more vertically stacked cartridges therein, eachcartridge containing a plurality of individual sheet products fordispense through a dispensing opening of the cartridge, wherein thehousing defines a load opening in a side panel or top end of thehousing, the load opening being configured to receive the one or morecartridges therethrough, wherein the housing defines a dispensing slotin a side panel or bottom end of the housing, the dispensing slot beingconfigured to at least partially align with the dispensing opening of abottommost cartridge of the one or more vertically stacked cartridges,such that the individual sheet products are accessible therethrough, andwherein the cartridges are each formed of a flexible panel material,such that an exhausted cartridge may be removed via the dispensing slot.2. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispensing slot is sized such thata detachable panel of the cartridge is removable therethrough.
 3. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the cartridge comprises rectangular sidepanels and the housing comprises complementary rectangular side panels.4. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to housethree vertically stacked cartridges.
 5. The system of claim 1, whereinthe flexible panel material comprises a polymer film.
 6. A sheet productcartridge, comprising: a plurality of individual folded sheet productsfor dispense through a dispensing opening of the cartridge, the foldedsheet products being interleaved for sequential dispense; and aplurality of flexible material panels containing the folded sheetproducts, wherein one of the panels comprises a detachable area that isconfigured to be detached to form the dispensing opening, the detachablearea comprising a weakened perimeter and an integral pull tab disposedwithin the weakened perimeter, wherein the pull tab comprises a weakenedneck portion associated with a partially detached stub portion, suchthat the detached stub portion is graspable by a user to detach theweakened neck portion and successively detach the weakened perimeter todetach the detachable area and form the dispensing opening.
 7. Thecartridge of claim 6, wherein the flexible panel material comprises apolymer film.
 8. The cartridge of claim 7, wherein the polymer filmcomprises low density polyethylene.
 9. The cartridge of claim 6, whereinthe weakened perimeter and the weakened neck portion compriseperforations.
 10. The cartridge of claim 6, wherein the plurality offlexible material panels form a parallelepiped.
 11. The cartridge ofclaim 7, wherein each flexible material panel is a rectangle.
 12. Thecartridge of claim 6, wherein the weakened perimeter is substantiallyrectangular.
 13. The cartridge of claim 12, wherein the weakenedperimeter comprises two elongated sides and two ends having a lengththat is shorter than a length of the elongated sides.
 14. The cartridgeof claim 6, wherein the weakened neck comprises two substantiallyparallel weakened strips.
 15. The cartridge of claim 14, wherein thestrips are substantially parallel to two elongated sides of the weakenedperimeter.
 16. The cartridge of claim 15, wherein the strips are offsetrelative to the two elongated sides and are centered relative to twoends of the weakened perimeter having a length that is shorter than alength of the elongated sides.
 17. The cartridge of claim 16, whereinthe strips are disposed in a first half of the detachable area.
 18. Thecartridge of claim 6, wherein the detached stub portion comprises asemicircular cut portion of the material panel forming the detachablearea.
 19. The cartridge of claim 6, wherein the detachable areacomprises a portion of the material panel in which it is disposed. 20.The cartridge of claim 6, wherein the detachable area comprisessubstantially all of the material panel in which it is disposed.
 21. Thecartridge of claim 6, wherein the detachable area is configured to bedetached by application of a substantially constant pull force to thestub portion of the pull tab, the pull force being applied in adirection substantially perpendicular to the material panel in which thepull tab is disposed.
 22. The cartridge of claim 6, wherein anindividual sheet product adjacent the detachable area prior todetachment of the detachable area comprises a reinforced leading endcomprising a folded portion of the sheet product.